US lawmakers urge Obama to cancel aid restrictions
Ten US lawmakers represented in the Congressional
taskforce on Azerbaijan have expressed concern to President Barack
Obama over legislation prohibiting direct US government assistance
to the country, a key US ally and major energy supplier.
In a letter, the lawmakers wrote that Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act of 1992 "remains a serious obstacle to expanding the strategic partnership between our two counties and is contrary to US national interest in the region". Furthermore, the absence of a US ambassador to Baku since July 2009 creates unnecessary uncertainties, the letter said, the Foreign Ministry told AssA-Irada.
It pointed out, further, that Azerbaijan is an important strategic partner of the United States. Located in a geo-politically dynamic region between Europe and Asia and sandwiched between Russia and Iran, Azerbaijan is a secular country with a predominantly Muslim population that has also been home for more than a millennium for vibrant Christian and Jewish communities. Azerbaijan has opened Caspian energy resources to development by US companies and has emerged as a key player for global energy security. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project, supported by both the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations, is the most successful project contributing to the development of the South Caucuses region and has become the main artery delivering Caspian Sea hydrocarbons to the U.S. and our partners in Europe, the US lawmakers wrote.
The letter said that in 2009 Azerbaijan provided nearly one quarter of all crude oil supplies to Israel and is considered a leading potential natural gas provider for the U.S.-supported Nabucco pipeline.
On the security front, immediately after the September 11, 2001 attacks Azerbaijan was among the first to offer strong support and assistance to the U.S. Azerbaijan participated in operations in Kosovo and Iraq and is actively engaged in Afghanistan, having recently doubled its military presence there. Azerbaijan has extended important over-flight clearances for US and NATO flights and has regularly provided landing and refueling operations at its airports for US and NATO forces. Also, Azerbaijan plays an important role in the Northern Distribution Network, a supply route to Afghanistan by making available its ground and Caspian naval transportation facilities. Additionally, Azerbaijan provides specialized training for Afghan police, border guard officers and de-miners, education and training of Afghan civilian and military medical doctors, and medical treatment of Afghan citizens at Azeri hospitals. Azerbaijan has provided medical equipment and supplies to Afghanistan as well as assisting in the construction of schools and hospitals there.
The letter also said Azerbaijan remains a reliable partner of NATO and the EU in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan is also an active partner of the United States in efforts regarding the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction through its participation in programs such as Caspian Guard and Cooperative Threat Reduction, the congressmen highlighted.
Finally, as one of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group charged with resolving the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict, the U.S. must engage more actively in mediation efforts, as is the case with Russia and France, the letter concluded.
The letter was co-signed by Bill Shuster, Michael Conaway, Michael McMahon, Solomon Ortiz, Dan Burton, John Boozman, Howard Coble, Sue Myrick, Denny Rehberg, and Tim Ryan.*
In a letter, the lawmakers wrote that Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act of 1992 "remains a serious obstacle to expanding the strategic partnership between our two counties and is contrary to US national interest in the region". Furthermore, the absence of a US ambassador to Baku since July 2009 creates unnecessary uncertainties, the letter said, the Foreign Ministry told AssA-Irada.
It pointed out, further, that Azerbaijan is an important strategic partner of the United States. Located in a geo-politically dynamic region between Europe and Asia and sandwiched between Russia and Iran, Azerbaijan is a secular country with a predominantly Muslim population that has also been home for more than a millennium for vibrant Christian and Jewish communities. Azerbaijan has opened Caspian energy resources to development by US companies and has emerged as a key player for global energy security. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project, supported by both the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations, is the most successful project contributing to the development of the South Caucuses region and has become the main artery delivering Caspian Sea hydrocarbons to the U.S. and our partners in Europe, the US lawmakers wrote.
The letter said that in 2009 Azerbaijan provided nearly one quarter of all crude oil supplies to Israel and is considered a leading potential natural gas provider for the U.S.-supported Nabucco pipeline.
On the security front, immediately after the September 11, 2001 attacks Azerbaijan was among the first to offer strong support and assistance to the U.S. Azerbaijan participated in operations in Kosovo and Iraq and is actively engaged in Afghanistan, having recently doubled its military presence there. Azerbaijan has extended important over-flight clearances for US and NATO flights and has regularly provided landing and refueling operations at its airports for US and NATO forces. Also, Azerbaijan plays an important role in the Northern Distribution Network, a supply route to Afghanistan by making available its ground and Caspian naval transportation facilities. Additionally, Azerbaijan provides specialized training for Afghan police, border guard officers and de-miners, education and training of Afghan civilian and military medical doctors, and medical treatment of Afghan citizens at Azeri hospitals. Azerbaijan has provided medical equipment and supplies to Afghanistan as well as assisting in the construction of schools and hospitals there.
The letter also said Azerbaijan remains a reliable partner of NATO and the EU in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan is also an active partner of the United States in efforts regarding the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction through its participation in programs such as Caspian Guard and Cooperative Threat Reduction, the congressmen highlighted.
Finally, as one of the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group charged with resolving the Armenia-Azerbaijan Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict, the U.S. must engage more actively in mediation efforts, as is the case with Russia and France, the letter concluded.
The letter was co-signed by Bill Shuster, Michael Conaway, Michael McMahon, Solomon Ortiz, Dan Burton, John Boozman, Howard Coble, Sue Myrick, Denny Rehberg, and Tim Ryan.*
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